Kerin L. Fresa-Dillon, PhD

Dr. Kerin Fresa-Dillon is a professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology and Forensic Medicine at PCOM. She earned a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. She joined the College faculty as an Associate Professor in 1994 and was promoted to Professor in 1999.

Dr. Fresa-Dillon is the Co-Director of the Cell and Tissue II course, a multidisciplinary biomedical sciences course taught in the first year of the DO program. She has also served as PCOM's representative to the Association of American Medical Colleges Medical School Objectives Program. Dr. Fresa-Dillon is a member of the American Association of Immunologists, Sigma Xi and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Research

"As we age, we become more susceptible to severe illness and death caused by infectious diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis and blood infections. We are studying a particular intracellular bacterium called Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae, which is an important cause of infections of the respiratory system. C. pneumoniae may also be a cause or aggravating factor for atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, which mostly affect older people. We have been studying how age affects the severity and extent of disease caused by C. pneumoniae in a mouse model. These studies are designed to compare clearance of C. pneumoniae and the development of disease in young and old mice of two different genetic make-ups. We will determine if age-related changes in disease caused by C. pneumoniae are associated with changes in the levels of important molecules, called cytokines, which are produced by the immune system."